Machine for applying labels to moving webs



Oct. 24, 1950 N. w. LYON HAL 2,527,272

MACHINE FOR APPLYING LABELS T0 MOVING WEBS Filed June 29, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORJ HTTORNEYS Get 24, 1950 N. w. LYON ETAL 2,527,272

MACHINE FOR APPLYING LABELS TO MOVING WEBS Filed June 29, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR5 1700mm hi [yo/1 A/YO Mu r59 1 0625A BY 4 ATTORFKYS Och 1950 N. w. LYON HAL MACHINE FOR APPLYING LABELS 'ro MOVING WEBS 4 SheetsSheet 3 Filed June 29, 1949 0 aw? i A a mvgmoRs OHM/W hr. [row/Mo @WALTH? Zucznr BY 05%;. Q 7%,!

ATTORNEYS Gd. 24, 19% N. w. LYON EFAL 2,537,272

MACHINE FOR APPLYING LABELS T0 MOVING wzss Filed June 29, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS Way/mm Mira/v mm Muff r Lucznr elented Oct. 24, 1950,

TE STATES MACHINE FOR APPLYING LABELS E MOVING WEBS Norman W. Lyon, Springfield, and Walter Luczek, North Wilbraham, Mesa, asslgnors to Package Machinery Company, East Longmeadow, Mass.

This invention relates to an improvement in label applying devices, and more particularly to devices for applying labels to a moving web.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device operable in combination with the feeding mechanism which supplies a wrapper web to a wrapping machine, which will apply a label to the web, before the individual wrappers are severed from the web, in such fashion that the label will appear in the desired position on the wrapped package, and which will operate satisfactorily regardless of slight changes in the speed of travel of the web or changes in the tension thereof. t

A further object is to provide a device, having the above characteristics, which may be associated with various types of wrapping machines and which can be adjusted to provide a range of operational speeds in conformity with the speed of the wrapping machine which is being supplied.

Other and further objects residing in the details of the construction will be made apparent in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a label applying device embodying the invention, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a view substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1, parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section substantially on line 3t of Fig. l; r

Fig. i is a longitudinal section on line t-t of Fig. 2 showing the main driving mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the drive for the label and web feeds; and

Fig. e is a detail view showing the web supply.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings, the parts are shown supported by a suitable frame structure generally indicated at I and including spaced vertical plate members 2 which carry a standard it for supporting a roll 6 of labels in web form from which individual labels are subsequently severed. Preferably the label web, indicated at t. is provided (see Fig. 2) with notches t at its edges, the notches being positioned between the labels and at the line along which the web is subsequently cut. Standard 3 is provided with brake means '8, actuated by adjustable springs b and t, which bears against the flange of the web reel to control the web tension.

From the roll d the label web passes over a spring supported tension roll it (see Fig. 6) to an intermittently operated web control drum H, which is provided with pins 02 that engage in lit?) Fig. 1 the label web b passes from drum ll over the bed is which cooperates with a printing device, not shown. From bed It the web passes around a fixed guide roll it, an adjustable guide roll it and between intermittently operated drawing rolls it and it. From the drawing rolls 57-48 the end of the web is projected between knives l9 and to and between spaced guide plates ti and 22 so that when the portion within the guides @l-tt is severed by knives it and ill to form a label the leading end edge of the label will lie. in the path of the leading edge of label applying platens it carried by a constantly rotating member 245.

The drum ii, drawing rolls it and ill, cutter l9-i2t and member it are driven in synchronism from a constantly rotating drive shaft fit, Fig. 4. Referring to Fig. 4 shaft it carries a sprocket it which drives a sprocket chain "ll. Chain it passes over an adjustable tensioning idler 28, into driving relation with a sprocket 29 secured to a stub shaft it, around sprocket ill secured to a sleeve 32 rotatably mounted on a stationary shaft 33, and back to sprocket 25.

To the sleeve 32 is secured the previously mentioned member 2513 which carries the label applying platens it.

Shaft 3t carries a double arm crank ti l provided with anti-friction rolls 35 adapted to engage in radial slots it formed in disc it which is fixed to shaft 38 which carries the drum ll. Crank 3 5 with its antifriction rolls 3%, and the disc ill in eflect form a two toothed pinion driving a six toothed pinion. Shaft it also carries a sprocket t9 driving a sprocket chain it passing 7 around a sprocket ti secured to a stub shaft ti.

Shaft 42 carries a gear t3 meshing with a gear it secured to shaft t5 of the upper drawing roll ll. Gear M meshes with a gear at secured on shaft M of the lower drawing roll it, whereby both drawing rolls are intermittently driven.

the notches t of the label web. As best shown in so Secured to shaft 25 is a cam 38 engaging a roller 49 on an arm t0 secured to a'pivot shaft M. A spring 52 maintains the roll 69 in operative contact with the cam 68. Also secured to the pivot shaft El and therefor operated by cam M are arms 53 carrying the movable knife blade 20 which cooperate with the fixed blade 89 to sever labels from the label web.

As will be apparent from the above arrangement, the label web control drum ii, the label web drawing rolls 81-48 and the shears l9t0 are intermittently operated in timed relation. while the platens 23 constantly rotate in synchronism therewith. all from the drive shaft it.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 5 the label drive shaft 25 is driven from a main drive shaft I4 to which is secured a sprocket I5 driven by a chain 58 from the wrapping machine (not shown) to which the labeled wrappers are supplied. As shown in Fig. 5, shaft 84 carries a gear 81 meshing with a gear 58 secured to a shaft 58. Shaft 58 is provided with a sprocket 80 connected by chain- 6I to a sprocket 82 adJustably secured to a shaft 68. Shaft 68 carries a gear 84 meshing with an intermediate gear 65 carried by stub shaft 86. Gear 65 meshes with a gear 61 connected to the label drive shaft 25, previously described, by an overload clutch which as shown comprises a driving dog 68 pivoted to gear 61 at 88 and normally held by a spring I in driving engagement with a recess II formed in a collar 12 fixed to the shaft 25. As will be understood the angle of engagement of the dog 68 and recess 'II is such that in the event of an excessive load on shaft 25 the dog 68 will be forced out of the recess against the action of spring I0.

The wrapper web feed, later described, is also driven from shaft 54 through a set of change gears comprising a changeable drive gear 18 releasably secured to shaft 54 and meshing with an idler M mounted on an adjustable stub shaft 1-8. Idler I4 meshes with a gear I8 secured to a shaft 11 which carries the lowermost wrapper web feed roll 88.

Referring again to Fig. 1 the wrapper web 80 is shown as supplied from a roll 8| rotatably mounted in a bracket 82 supported by frame I. From the roll 8| the web is drawn over successive fixed guide rolls 88 and 88 and over a roll 85 supported by springs 88 to maintain suitable tension on the web. Preferably roll 85 is maintained in parallel relation with the other guide rolls by means of gears 81, secured to the outer ends of the shaft 88 of guide roll 85, and meshing with fixed parallel racks 89, roll 85 being free on the shaft. From the tension roll 85 the web passes around a fixed guide roll 80, over a support shown in the form of a backing roll 8|, around a fixed guide roll 82 and between drawing rolls 88 and 88 (Fig. From the drawing rolls the web passes over a fixed cutting knife 85 which cooperates with a rotary knife 86 to sever individual wrappers from the web. The lower drawing roll 88 is carried on the shaft II which carries gear 18 and is driven as previously described from the main drive shaft 5 3.

Shafts 9i and ll of the drawing rollscarry meshing gears 88 whereby upper drawing roll 88 is driven from lower drawing roll 96. As will be obvious, by employing an appropriate size for gear 18 the speed at which the web is advanced past the constantly rotating knife 86 by rolls 8884 may be varied to supply the desired length of wrapper to the wrapping machine.

Shaft 91 of upper drawing roll 88 is journaled in a weighted bracket 88 pivoted to the frame and which may be raised to separate the drawing rolls, for convenience in threading the wrapper web, by a lever I00 pivoted on the end of shaft 81 and carrying a cam lug |0| engageable with a boss I02 to force the rolls apart.

Shaft 11 also carries a sprocket I08 which drives a sprocket chain I04 which passes around fixed guide sprocket I85 and adjustable guide sprocket I86 and around a sprocket I81 secured to the shaft I08 of backing roll 8|.

The rotary knife 88 is carried by a rotary 4 as previously described from the main driving shaft 84.

It will be apparent from the above that the wrapper web is constantly drawn over the backing roll 8| and severed into individual wrappers which are advanced to the wrapping machine by any suitable means (not shown) As the wrapper web passes over the backing roll, labels are applied thereto in spaced relation by the constantly revolving platens 28 and the mechanism associated therewith which will now be described with particular reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3. As shown the member 24 carries two diametrically opposite platens 28 adjacent each of which is pivotally mounted a gripping finger H8. The fingers 8 are carried by a bellcrank I|2 pivoted to member 24 at H8. The opposite end of each bellcrank is provided with a roller H4 which engages the cam H5 secured to the end of the fixed shaft 88 previously described and about which the sleeve which carries member 24 rotates. Springs H8 maintain the rolls I I8 in operative relation with cam H8 and also keep the fingers Illl closed except when rollers I It are on the high spot of the cam IIB. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the forward end of the label web which is projected over the plate 22 by the drawing rolls II--I8 extends beyond the forward edge of the plate 22 so that the leading end of the label lies in the path of gripping blocks I I! which form the leading edge of each platen 28, the leading face of blocks 1 extending radially of the arcuate face of the platen. The cam H5 is formed with a high I I8 which maintains the gripper finger lid of each platen out of the path of the leading end of the label and in open position until the leading edge of the platen comes in contact with the latter. The high 8 terminates in an abrupt drop I I8 which causes the finger M8 to engage the leading edge of the label web and clamp it to the platen. As this occurs the leading portion of the web is severed from the web 5 by the knives |92|l to form a label. As the gripped label is advanced by the member 24 its trailing portion is bent against the face of the platen 28 by the edge portion of the upper plate 2| and the label is carried beneath and in contact with an arcuate member I20 which is heated in any suitable manner as by electric heating elements diagrammatically indicated at III. The rear faces of the labels are coated with a heat softenable adhesive which is softened as it is moved over and in contact with the arcuate surface of member I20 which is preferably lengthwise corrugated. The platens 28 are narrower than the label and as the leading edge of the label is brought opposite the wrapper web traveling over the backing roll 8| the side edge portions of the label are engaged by applying rolls {2| positioned one at either side of the path of the platens. Rolls |2| are independently carried by arms I22 (Figs. 2. 3 and 4) which are pivotally mounted on a cantilever shaft I28 and are spring pressed'ln the direction. of the backing roll by torsion springs I24. As the label is engaged by the rolls I2| the cam roll I of the finger |I|| engages an abrupt rise I24 of the cam II! to release the label from the platen. As best shown in Fig. 3, the surface of the platens, which are preferably corrugated, is spaced slightly from the backing roll 8| so that as the cam roll 4 engages the rise I24 to release the fingers IIII, the control of the label is taken over by the freely rotatable pressure rolls |2I which roll the edge member I89 secured to shaft 58 constantly driven 7 portions of the label into adhering engagement with the wrapper web to be carried along therewith. The intermediate portions of the label are rolled into contact with the wrapper web as the latter passes around the fixed guide roll 92 and subsequently between the drawing rolls 93 and 94.

As will be apparent from the above escription the labels are advanced, severed from th web and clamped to the platens by mechanisms which can be and are closely synchronized together so that the labels are accurately formed and accurately positioned on the platens 23. In the meantime the wrapper web is being advanced by its own feeding means which is generally synchronized with the label forming means through their common drive from the shaft 54. However, there may be and frequently is a slight variation in the surface speed of the wrapper web and the surface speed of the platens 2t. By structure above described such slight diflerences are prevented from affecting the accuracy of the application of the label to the web by the fact that the control of the label is transferred from the platen to the rolls iii as the labels are brought into engagement with the wrapper web. The rolls l2i being freely rotatable, the label is applied at the speed of the wrapper web and the platen if traveling at a slightly diiferent speed than the web merely slides relative to the label.

For convenience in threading, the lower label drawing roll it is journaled in arms ltd secured to a pivoted shaft lit to which is iixed an arm til. A spring ltd normally maintains roll it in feeding relation with roll ll but the rolls may be separated by manipulation of arm ill in an obvious manner. Preferably also as an aid to threading and adjusting, the shaft lit is provided with a hand wheel its for manual operation.

To enable the label to be placed in any desired position on the wrapper the sprocket 62, as previously mentioned, is made adjustable on shaft fit. This adjustment may be secured in any suitable manner as by a set screw ltd threaded through the hub of the sprocket. With sprocket t2 temporarily released from its shaft b3 the shaft may be rotated by hand wheel M9 to change the position of the cycle of operation of the label feeding and applying mechanisms driven by shaft 25 relative to the cycle of the wrapper feed and cutting mechanisms so that the label may be applied in any position longitudinally of the wrapper web relative to the line of out of the wrapper. The position of the label longitudinally on the cut wrapper may thus be predetermined.

To provide adjustment of the point of application of the label transversely of the wrapper web, and therefore transversely of the cut wrapper the supporting frame plates 2 (Fig. l) are adjustably. mounted as by bolts l3i on cross rods tilt of the main frame, the various gears and sprockets through which the parts carried by the frame plates 2 are driven being secured to their respective shafts by long splines (not shown) to accommodate the transverse adjustment of the frame plates.

What is claimed is:

l. A machine for forming labeled wrappers which comprises means for advancing a web of wrapper material, a cutting member to sever a predetermined length of material from the web to form a wrapper, a supporting member over which the web passes in its travel to the cutting member, a freely rotatable spring pressed roll engaging the web as it passes over said supporting member, a rotatable platen, means to supply 2. A machine for forming labeled wrappers which comprises means for advancing a web of wrapper material, a cutting member to sever a predetermined length of material from the web to form a wrapper, a supporting member over which the web passes in its travel to the cutting member, a freely rotatable spring pressed roll engaging the web as it passes over said supporting member, a rotatable platen, mean to supply individual labels to said platen, a releasable gripper releasably securing the labels to the platen to be advanced thereby between said sprin pressed roll and the portion of the wrapper web traveling over the supporting member, means to release the gripper to free the label from the platen as the leading end of the label is engaged by said freely rotatable spring pressed roll to permit the label to be applied to the web at the speed or travel of the latter, by said roll, a common drive for the wrapper web advancing means and said cutting means, a common drive for the label supply means and said platen, and means to shift the time cycle of said common drives relative to each other to adjust the longitudinal position of the label on the completed wrapper.

3. A machine for forming labeled wrappers which comprises means for advancing a web of wrapper material including a pair of drawing rolls, a backing roll over which said web is drawn by the drawing rolls, means to rotate said backing roll, label applying means including a pair of spaced freely rotatable spring pressed rolls engaging the web as it passes over said backing roll, a member carrying an arcuate label receiving platen and mounted to rotate between said spring pressed rolls, means to supply individual labels to said platen, a releasable gripper releasably securing the central portion of the leading edge of the labels to the leading edge of the platen, means to rotate said member and platen to carry the unsecured leading edge portions of the label between said freely rotatable spring pressed rolls and the portion of the wrapper web traveling over the backing roll, means to release the gripper member to free the label from the platen as the label is engaged by the spring pressed rolls to permit the latter to apply the label to the wrapped web at the speed imparted to the web by said drawing rolls.

4. A machine for applying labels coated with a thermoplastic adhesive to a traveling wrapper web which comprises a rotatable member carrying an arcuate, label receiving platen, a spring pressed label engaging finger pivotally mounted on said member adjacent the leading edge of the platen, spring means normally holding said linger in engagement with the leading edge of the platen, means to constantly rotate said member, means to intermittently advance a label web to position its leading end in the path of the leading edge of the platen, a cam having a high dwell for moving said finger out of the path of the leading end of the label to permit the latter to be engaged by the leading edge of the platen, said cam having a sharp drop to cause the finger to clamp the 7 leading end of the label against said edge of the platen as the latter engages said end of the label, means to sever a label from the label web substantially simultaneously with the engagement of the platen edge with the label, stationary guide means to bend the non-adhesive side of the trailing portion of the label against the platen as the latter advances, a stationary heated member having an arcuate surface in contact with which the label is moved by the platen, a backing roll, positioned closely adiacent the terminal end of the arcuate surface, over which backing roll a web of wrapping material is advanced and between the web, means to drive the backing roll, spaced spring pressed rollers positioned on opposite sides of the path of the platen and cooperating with .said backing roll to press the side edge portions of the label against the wrapper web independently of the pressure applied by the platen to the center portion of the label, said cam including a a sharp rise to raise the finger and release the label as the latter engages between the spring pressed rolls and the backing roll, the pressure of the spring pressed rolls on the edge portions of the label exceedingthat of the platen on the center portion of the label.

5. In a machine for applying labels coated with a thermoplastic adhesive, a rotatable member carrying an arcuate label securing platen having which and the platen the label is pressed against 8 a leading edge face in a plane extending substantially radially of the center of rotation of said member, a spring pressed label engaging finger pivotally mounted on said member, spring means normally holding said finger in engagement with said leading face of the platen, means to constantly advance a label to position its leading end edge in the path of said leading edge face of the platen, cam means including a high for moving said finger out of engagement with said leading face of the platen to permit the latter to engage the label said cam including a drop to cause the finger to clamp the leading edge portion of the label against said leading face of the platen as the latter engages the label and stationary means to bend the non-adhesive side of the trailing portion of the label against the platen as the latter advances past said last-named means.

NORMAN W. LYON. WALTER LUCZEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patents UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS Number Name Date 2,266,087 Schlemmer Dec. 16, 1941 2,335,033 Tomkins Nov. 23, 1943 

